


Brunnhilde

by betterrecieved



Series: Goat Farm AU [1]
Category: Spartacus Series (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-26
Updated: 2013-03-26
Packaged: 2017-12-06 15:19:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/737149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/betterrecieved/pseuds/betterrecieved
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Future AU where the children of Spartacus, Gannicus, and Crixus carry on their fathers' legacies with their mothers' love and while helping to tend Nasir and Agron's goats.</p><p>Crassus' child with Kore is in there too.</p><p>There are no goats in this chapter though, sorry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brunnhilde

**Author's Note:**

> Co-created with [unbowedprincess](http://unbowedprincess.tumblr.com/post/46268515670/fandom-spartacus-series-goat-farm-alternate). Check out her gorgeous banners [here](http://unbowedprincess.tumblr.com/post/46116841133/legacy-of-the-fallen-gladiators-goat-farm-au) and [here](http://unbowedprincess.tumblr.com/post/46183302440/brunnhildes-fire-does-not-burn-steadily-like).
> 
> Beta'd by [teardrop193](http://archiveofourown.org/users/teardrop193/pseuds/teardrop193)

Saxa comes back from the sea grinning as if only minutes have passed, instead of long years.

But when Saxa’s daughter Brunnhilde does not know her own mother, Saxa’s grin drops.

It is more painful than dagger to chest, and Saxa stands frozen in doorway, heart bleeding onto floor.

But Laeta, Kore, and Nasir, ever peacemakers, come forward with open arms and lead her to Brunnhilde, who has grown more beautiful than Saxa could ever have hoped.

And Brunnhilde stares at Saxa with sardonic eyes like Gannicus’.

The other children - born of Sybil, Laeta, Kore, and Naevia - cluster around Agron, who towers over them like oak tree.

Lugo’s booming voice proclaims, ‘Wandering sister has returned to us!’

Between them all, the table is quickly laid, food brought out, though the children cause more havoc than actually help.

Saxa has eyes only for her child, who with shy self-conscious smile on her fair face bustles around the table, obeying Sibyl’s gentle order not to run within cottage.

‘I have returned to _her_ ,’ Saxa corrects. Her daughter is most beautiful girl in world, how could Saxa have left her?

Yet looking around at at many pairs of hands helping one another, hands that gently guide Saxa to place at head of table, next to Brunnhilde, Saxa is at least reassured that daughter has been well-loved.

*

Brunnhilde does not like the sun, but Saxa pulls her outdoors into the bright, harshly beating-down thick of it until her daughter is tan and healthy and Nasir must apply poultice to Hilde’s cracking red skin.

‘I must keep forever here with Brunnhilde,’ Saxa sighs in German to Agron as they sit upon grassy filed just in front of home bursting to seams with people who can never be far from one another.

‘I must leave the sea behind me, though it calls to me. I am a mother now.’

Agron squints out toward horizon, where grain fields wave like endless golden ocean, yet…There are limits just past what he can see.

‘Castus shall return someday, and you will go back with him, for you are wild woman not meant for cottage.’

Saxa becomes crafty-eyed at this speech. ‘Yet you stay, wild man. When will you be called away?’

But Agron looks toward the cottage as if he is seeing an old lover. ‘I did not know then that I was called to be here.’

‘I take her to open waters with me and make of her pirate!’ Saxa declares excitedly in common tongue, jumping up and streaking wildly for open front door.

Agron follows his fiery-eyed sister-in-arms back to the cottage. Having learned from Nasir value of holding tongue, he says nothing of Saxa’s plans.

*

Sibyl is woman who has earned Saxa’s respect over time, which is difficult thing. Once Saxa dislikes someone she is done with them forever.

Now she goes to Sibyl, woman who become impregnated by same cock as her, at same time.

Does Sibyl knows of way to force Brunnhilde’s mind in direction of sea?

‘If she like your daughter, then fire buried deep inside her,’ Saxa says admiringly, for Sibyl’s daughter Boudicca is bed of thorns wrapped in gossamer. She is child who runs through fields, screaming, flying with arms spread wide toward horizon.

‘Of course fire resides within Hilde,’ Sibyl begins. In her voice there is gentle admonishment. ‘But I do not think she is child meant for sea. As it is it is useless question. Hilde is only fifteen!’

‘I saw much of world younger than that,’ Saxa muses.

Boyish voices of orphan child Hadrian, last baby born within rebellion, and Thrax, son of Spartacus, call for Sibyl and she spares worried glance at Saxa before she rushes to them. Saxa rolls her eyes heavenward; everything within cottage is children this, children that.

To have responsibility of so many children would be greatest curse to Saxa; even during her current stay she grows weary of hearing their constant demands.

Naevia comes to her later that night. Naevia’s daughter Diona is of passionate intensity, prone to arguing and foaming at mouth, a hasty yet thoughtful child whom Saxa instantly takes to.

‘When I first saw mines, I was not yet eighteen. So I cannot say, She is too young. But Hilde is not child meant for seafaring.’

‘You do not for certain know this,’ Saxa dismisses.

Naevia pins dark, level eyes onto Saxa. ‘You seek to ease guilt where guilt is not required. Your daughter has been lovingly brought up, and treasure sent along to us in your name has kept her well-maintained. Stay here a while yet, and when you return to sea, simply remember us sooner, and you will not find yourself forgotten again.’

*

Saxa does stay for a while.

She stays for years.

The longer she stays the more she sees that Brunnhilde’s fire does not burn steadily like Boudicca’s, or flare up like Diona’s.

It smolders and roils under thick blanket of acrid smoke, waiting for crosswind which will feed it.

This is a girl who does not exchange harsh words.

This is a girl who can silence other children with a glance.

This is a girl who _fights_.

Saxa stays for years, hoping to bear witness to Brunnhilda’s flame engulfing whole world.


End file.
